ARA’S POV

     The next day, I was still thinking about the kiss. It was our first kiss…our first real kiss. When I’d gotten home that night, after grabbing a bite to eat by myself, Kyung-Sook made me tell her everything. At first, I played it off like nothing happened, but I was too happy and excited to contain myself and Kyung-Sook was too suspicion of the blush on my cheeks. And then I was barely able to pay attention in class. My mind kept wandering to my day dreams. I got scolded embarrassingly by my teachers more than once, until I finally shook myself out of it. I wasn’t expecting for Junsu to call me, but he did, the moment I walked into my dorm at end of classes.

“Hello?” I answered with a smile.

“Hey, Ara, are you busy tonight?” He sounded rushed.

“Um, no, I don’t think so. It’s Friday and the only homework I have this week is my art project, which I can start on later. Why?”

“The interview tonight got cancel, so I have the night free, and there’s this private party thing going on at my friend’s friend’s club. So…wanna go out tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“Ya. We haven’t gone on a real date in a long time and I might not get another free night for a while. It’ll be fun, what do you say?”

I wanted to jump up and down and scream ‘yes’. Instead, I said, “Uhhh…What should I wear?”

Junsu laughed, maybe because he thought what I said was funny, or because he was just as happy as I was right then.

“Wear something cool. Whatever you want. I’ll come by at 7:30, ok?”

“I’ll be ready.” I assured, and we both hung up.

Then I looked at the clock on the wall. It was 6 o’clock! I had no time for a shower. I had to change, put on makeup, do my hair… I jumped up and rushed around Eun Hye, who was sitting quietly on the floor, studying—seemingly oblivious to me and franticness.

Then she looked up at me from her book. “Ara, would you cut that out? You’ll never accomplish anything like that.”

I stopped and looked at her. “I know, but…I don’t know what to wear! He said something cool. What’s cool?!”

“What do you think?” She asked me. “That’s what he wants, right? For you to be you. Wear what you think is cool.”

I nodded. “Right.”

So I walked to my closet, and instead of thinking about what he might like or what Kyung-Sook might say, I thought about what I wanted to wear to a private night club—or whatever it was Junsu said. I was feeling a bit urban… I glanced at the window. It was a warm day…

     I stood by the road and waited for Junsu. I looked down at my short red skirt and hoped it wasn’t too short. I reach up to straighten my big dangling gold earrings. They felt heavy, swinging from my ears. I hadn’t worn them in a while. I scuffed my white and pink sneakers against the sidewalk and looked both ways down the street. I’d forgotten my watch, so I pulled out my cell phone to check the time. 7:27. I zipped up my yellow hoodie, pulled up the hood, and pushed the sleeves up to my elbows, then reached up to pull my pale, flat-billed hat into place. A random guy passing by stared at me, and then proceeded to trip into a wall. I almost laughed at him. What was his problem? Another one whistled and the girl he was with smacked him. I blushed. I didn’t like all the attention, but at the same time, I was flattered. All the same, I just wanted Junsu to get there so we could go…